5 Reasons Your Small Business Website Sucks and How to Fix It

As a small business owner, your website should be extremely important to you from the perspective of how it brings business to your company. Your website is the key to getting found on Web searches, and if you fail at your website you also miss all the opportunities for free marketing that you get simply from ranking on the first page of Google's search results. Building a website may seem like it is easy, but there are a lot of fine little details that are critical to its success. That is why the Phoenix Web Design firm BANG! Web Site Design is here to help you. Think of your website visitors as someone walking into your store for the first time. If they walk in and see everything is a mess or it is otherwise visually unappealing, they will walk out as quickly as they came in. 

Here are 5 reasons that your website sucks and how you can fix them:

1. Design - Yellow May Be Your Favorite Color, but...

Did you mean to blind everyone that came to your website? Colors that are extreme can be as annoying as they are actually physically painful. That neon yellow that you chose to stand out is actually causing problems. The goal is to keep people on your website, not running in fear of being swallowed by some yellow monster or to get aspirin for that migraine you just gave them. Instead of picking a bold color, find a more neutral option. Neutral colors are more calming and inviting, as well as easier on the eyes, unless you are selling sunglasses and trying to prove a point... Save those bright colors for CTA's... call to actions such as buttons for Contact Us.

2. Organization & Structure - Clutter is For Hoarders

This is a website, not an episode of "Extreme Hoarders". Customers are looking for sites that are easy to navigate so they can find the information they want. They also want a website that loads quickly, which if you have too much clutter on the page the page will be slower to load. Keep the design simple and organized, utilizing side bars and headers to help direct customers to the information they are looking for.

3. A Modern Look - The 80's Are Calling and They Want Their Pictures Back

Stock photos are your friends. Stock photos that look like clips from "Sixteen Candles" is probably not the best choice. This can cause your website to look outdated and deter customers from staying on your site. Instead, opt for high quality and modern pictures that can really help make your website more visually appealing. Including photos of your actual staff and location help build credibility. Optimizing the photos by compressing them properly helps with the next item.

4. Quick & Mobile - A Snail Moves Quicker than Your Mobile Site Can Load

If loading quickly is important on a desktop, it's doubly so on a smartphone. Having a mobile friendly site is critical. Google is putting lots of emphasis on having a mobile friendly site for your customers and is penalizing sites that don't. 

Remember, smartphones users are going to take action based on your site. Make sure that action is a positive one for you by providing the information they are looking for, and quickly. Typically, this is phone number, hours, location & products or services provided.

5. Fresh -  The Last Time You Updated Your Website, Your Kid Started Kindergarten...

And today, you sent him off to college. People do not want to go to a website and find that nothing has been updated within the last decade, or even year. This tells them that you may be out of business and forgot to shut down your site. To avoid this, remember to keep your website properly updated with information and specials that you may be offering to drive customers to your business. A blog with frequent posts shows you still care, not only to site visitors but to Google who will reward you with higher search rankings for your efforts.

With these improvements, your website can once again become a valuable marketing tool. If you need any help with your website design needs, the Phoenix Web Design firm, BANG! Web Site Design is here to help your small business website succeed. Contact Us or call us at 602-427-5626 ext 1 for sales.